Big Brothers Big Sisters #NSStrong bursary
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pictou County is honouring those killed in last April’s mass shooting.
They have created a $500 #NSStrong bursary, named for the hashtag hich became a representation of the caring people of Nova Scotia.
“It is our honour to have established the #NSStrong Bursary. Everyone in Nova Scotia was impacted,” says executive director Margie Grant-Walsh.
“There was a Pictou County connection, and my family also had a personal loss in the tragedy. We thought it might be a nice way to memorialize our lost fellow Nova Scotians.”
Grant-Walsh also says it is a good fit, as the mass shooting left some children without a parent or parents and Big Brothers Big Sisters often serves single-parent families.
The bursary will be awarded to a Pictou County student who in the fall is registered to attend an educational institution in a human service field of study.
This could include nursing, social work or psychology, for example.
They are also looking for someone who has been a mentor and has made a positive impact in their school community. This could be anything from coaching to tutoring.
Money for the bursary is coming from their bursary fund and a small portion of their lottery calendar proceeds. The bursary will be awarded yearly, and they hope to grow the amount.
Applications will open on April 23 and will close May 31.
More information can be found on the organization’s website, www.bbbsofpc.com, under the What We Do tab.